Better Know A ‘Hunger Games’ District: Panem’s Bread Bowl, District 9

What’s a dystopian novel without a post-apocalyptic world? In Panem, life is truly tough the further you live from the fashion-conscious Capitol. In case you needed a refresher, Panem is split up into 12 districts (we don’t talk about district 13) and a glittering and wealthy capital city.

Taking a page from The Colbert Report, this ongoing “Better Know a District” series will take a look at the districts that make up the brutal world of The Hunger Games.

Welcome To District 9: Carbs, Carbs, Carbs!

Industry: District 9 is known as Panem’s “bread bowl.” This district is best known for its amber waves of grain and its production of bread that residents are probably too poor to afford.

Notable Residents: District 9 is one of the districts least talked about in the books and films. None of the District 9 contestants in The Hunger Games are named, although Katniss does have a run-in with one tribute in the 74th annual Hunger Games. She and the District 9 tribute go for the same backpack, put the District 9 tribute ends up with a knife in the back courtesy of Clove. Ouch!

How Hungry? Like the other far-flung districts, District 9 is not very wealthy. The district is mostly made up of farms and factories for grain processing and storage.

Hunger Games Prospects: District 9 is probably one of the worst districts when it comes to prospects within the games. The tributes almost always die in the initial bloodbath on the first day. Since the district is far away from the Capitol, tributes aren’t afforded the training that career tributes enjoy. Even worse, District 9 is also more urban than some of the other outlying districts, giving them a distinct disadvantage in nature-filled arenas.